Everlasting
by La Mesa Bandgeeks15
Summary: 2 years after Ichigo' death, and Orihime still finds herself mourning him. Ichigo is now shinigami captain of the 5th squad and has no memory of his past life. Will Ichigo be able to regain his memory? Or will the bond between them be ruined forever?
1. Prologue

Prologue

Haunting Memories

"It's such a beautiful day, isn't it Orihime?" asked Ichigo.

"Yes it is," Orihime giggled.

That day was just another regular day. They were out an another one of their dates. Regular, right? Not so.

He grabbed her left hand, where a shining engagement ring sat. He smiled and kissed her passionately on the lips, "And to think that in a few weeks' time, you'll be known as Mrs. Kurosaki. Oh, the irony. I still remember Dad's expression when we said that we were engaged."

That day would be one of the days that changed her life forever.

Orihime smiled and kissed him back, "So do I. That was a funny day."

She remembered that day very well. The day that he died.

They laid down on the grass in silence, basking in the afternoon sun, and watching the clouds lazily drift by. He played with strands of her hair while she laid her head back against his chest. Even though she was watching the clouds, Orihime's thoughts were elsewhere. She remembered the day that he proposed to her; it was one of her fondest memories. She remembered everything about that day.

_"Orihime, how did you like our date?" asked Ichigo._

_"It was fun, Ichigo!" replied Orihime. It was around the end of last year when he proposed to her. That day was the best day of her life._

_"That's good," He smiled, "I love you Orihime, you know that right?"_

_"Yes, I do and I love you too Ichigo."_

_Ichigo smiled and kissed her, "Good." He walked up to her apartment door and opened it for her, "After you."_

_Orihime walked in and Ichigo closed the door behind them. Orihime was shocked to see him standing there, "Ichigo! Aren't you supposed to be getting home now?" He surprised her by grabbing her hand and going down on one knee. He had a ring case in his hand._

_"Orihime, will you marry me?"_

_Orihime's eyes widened and she couldn't speak for a few moments. She had been wanting this day to come for all of her life and now it had finally come. Words could not explain the happiness that she was feeling at this time._

_"I'm sorry, did I upset you?" asked Ichigo, "You're crying."_

_Orihime's eyes widened and she immediately wiped her tears away. She hadn't even noticed that she had been crying, "Oh, sorry, I'm just so happy… I mean, yes! Yes, I will marry you Ichigo."_

_He stood up and slid the ring on to her finger, "Good." And he kissed her, his hand still in hers. That day was the best day of her life._

Ichigo was likewise deep in thought. _Where should we go on our honeymoon? I want it to be the best time of her life._ He had always liked her smile, and he had always enjoyed seeing it. He never realized his feeling for her, though, until she was kidnapped by Aizen. Then, he realized he needed that girl with the beautiful smile. He wanted to make her smile like that again and again, so he wanted their honeymoon to be the best day of her life. Because of their distracting thoughts, neither of them noticed the slight disturbance in the sky as nearby a large garganta lazily opened its jaws, allowing a hollow to slip through. If this had been an ordinary hollow, it would have allow for an easy defeat, but it wasn't and on this day Ichigo just happened to leave his shinigami badge and Kon behind in his room…

"Shall we get going Orihime?" asked Ichigo holding out his arm for her. The sun was starting to set and nothing bad had happened, at least, nothing bad had happened yet.

"Yes, let's go before it gets dark," said Orihime as she took her arm. Together they headed to the park, where there were great seats to watch a beautiful sunset. They stood together in front of the setting star and he put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Orihime…" Orihime's eyes widened.

"Orihime, what's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"Ichigo behind you!"

Ichigo turned and found himself face-to-face with a huge hollow. It roared and prepared to strike. Immediately Ichigo reached for his shinigami badge and found that it wasn't there. Oh, shit. He had left it back home!

"Damn it!"

The hollow lunged, straight for Orihime. Ichigo, not know what else to do threw himself in front of her. It tore right through him, not stopping once.

"Ichigo!" Orihime's eyes filled with tears at seeing her lover being killed. She wanted to help, but she knew she couldn't. Her hairpins had been left at home. She closed her eyes, no longer caring whether she died or not. The man she loved fell to her knees, blood dripping from his mouth and the wound in his chest bleeding profusely. The hollow prepared to commence its second strike but was immediately pushed back by numerous arrows.

"Orihime, are you alright?" asked Ishida.

"I-i-ichi- Ichigo...," was her only response.

"Ichigo!" yelled Chad, who had just arrived at the scene.

"Sado, you take of Inoue-san and Kurosaki! I'll take care of this thing!"

"Got it!"

"Ichigo...Ichigo! Open your eyes, come on! You can't leave me! We're engaged! ICHIGO, PLEASE!" Orihime was only answered by lifeless eyes.

"Oi!" Rukia and Renji fly into the scene, zanpakutos' drawn. They quickly disposed of the hollow, while Uryu ran over.

"Kurosaki!" shouted Uryu, shocked, "How could he have been killed?"

It was a mess. There was blood everywhere. Ichigo had been stabbed right through his aorta, which resulted in an immediate death. Even the Substitute Shinigami can't survive an injury like that. People were coming out to see what the ruckus was all about.

"Can't he be saved?" asked Chad, a hint of desperation in his voice.

Uryu shook his head, "Without Inoue-san's powers, it's too late. He's gone."

"It's all... my fault. He had forgotten.. his shinigami badge... at his house and... he still tried to... protect me..." said Orihime through her tears, "It's-

"No it's not your fault, Inoue-san," said Uryu. Rukia and Renji came rushing over. Then they saw Ichigo and stopped, their eyes wide.

"What happened?" demanded Renji.

"He had forgotten his badge and didn't have Kon with him, but he still tried to protect Orihime," said Uryu, his voice cracking. Even he can't hold in his emotions forever. Now there were people surrounding them, trying to get to the center. There were shouts of alarm, screams of terror, and cries of sorrow. From a distance, sirens could be heard coming closer and closer.

"Ichigo, that idiot. Stubborn to the end." Rukia sobbed, breaking down in tears.

"There's nothing we can do now," said Renji, trying to comfort Rukia. "Let's perform a konso. It's the least we can do for him."

Rukia nodded, "Yes, that's all we can do now."

"No...no...ICHIGOOOO!" screamed Orihime, and broke down completely. Uryu and Chad led her away to her house.

And that day would continue to haunt her life forever.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Two Years Later

'_It's been exactly 2 years since his death, but why hasn't it gotten any easier?' _Ever since Ichigo's death, a lot of things had changed. Everybody was affected by his death, especially Orihime. The cheery and energetic part of her was gone now, leaving a silent, empty, and broken shell. Everyday was the same. She'd get up, take a shower, eat breakfast, and go to the Urahara Shop to stay. Her friends would come over and try to comfort her, knowing that their efforts weren't helping at all. Hell, they were confused that she hadn't committed suicide so that she can leave this world and be reunited with Ichigo. But, she continued to live was because she knew Ichigo would have wanted her to continue living life as if he were there. So she did. She even got a new boyfriend. He was a nice guy, but she really couldn't love anyone anymore. After all, HE had been her soul mate. She kind of felt guilty for dating someone who she could never really love. She liked him, a lot, but that's all she could ever feel for him. He wasn't the same as HIM. Nobody she dated would compare to HIM. Her boyfriend was like a poorly made copy compared to the real thing. He didn't know how she was really feeling inside. Nobody did. She absentmindedly fingered her engagement ring that hung around a silver chain on her neck. It was the only memory of HIM that she had left. Uryu, Chad and Tatsuki had always wondered why she kept it. She just couldn't let go of it.

"Hime."

Orihime turned around to find her boyfriend, Hideo, looking intently at her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just… thinking."

"Do you want to go to the park?" Orihime paused as memories flooded back to her. That was where HE died. Tears sprung to her eyes at the thought, and she struggled to hold them in. But her boyfriend wouldn't know that, so she decided it couldn't hurt.

"Ok."

The park was loud and filled with kid running, laughing, and playing. Couples were walking around, holding hands and talking to each other, sharing the occasional kiss. Orihime couldn't help but to smile at the sight. It was just so... cheerful here. Hideo let her to a bench, one that would give them a clear view of the sunset. She sat down, looked around and realized that this was the exact place where HE died. Hideo could have could have chosen any other bench in the park, but he had to choose THIS one.

"The sunset really is beautiful, isn't it Hime?"

Orihime tried to act cheery, "Yes! It really is." She gave him a slightly shaky smile, but he didn't notice.

All of a sudden he got down on his knees before her. She stared for a minute, a confused look etched onto her face. He reached into his pocket and held out a beautiful diamond ring.

"Orihime Inoue, will you marry me?"

Orihime sat up shocked. _'What? Should I say yes? This is probably what Ichigo would've wanted me to do. But I don't really love Hideo,'_ Orihime sighed, _'What should I do?_' All of a sudden, a thought struck her. Ichigo had told her something once, during the Tanabata festival.

.

.

.

'"Ichigo, look! Look at all the stars in the sky! Aren't they beautiful?" Orihime asked excitedly. He merely chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, they really are."

.

.

"Hey, Orihime." Ichigo asked after a comfortable silence. Orihime rolled over onto her side, her head resting on his chest, over his heart. The steady "thump-thump" could be heard, almost as if reassuring her that he was still here. "Hmm?"

"Look up at the sky, and pick out a star. Pick the star that you want."

She did as she was told, and looked up. The night sky was filled with fireworks and beyond those, were the beautiful miniature lights that seemed to hang from the sky. "Hmm….There are so many… Ah! That one, on the right! See it? It's a little brighter than the others." And indeed it was.

"Then the one to the left of yours is mine." Ichigo stated.

"Orihime, remember them. Remember our stars, okay? If one of us dies early, we'll be able to watch over each other through those stars. Okay? So, if I die, then look up, find my star, and know that I'll be there. Always."

.

.

.

She was pulled back into reality. She had her answer. 'No. I can't." This was too much. "Sorry, but I can't."

"What?" Hideo stood up, shock and pain carved onto his face. "Why?"

"I'm sorry, but I just can't." Hideo's face fell.

"Oh, ok." And he left dejectedly, shoving the ring back in his pocket.

Orihime watched him go until he was out of sight. She felt sorry for him. She just couldn't think of him like that. It was too painful for her. When he was gone she left and walked to a flower shop and then to the graveyard. She walked past all the rows of graves and then stopped at a particular one. It was tall, gray, and belonged to someone who she could never forget. Ichigo Kurosaki. She placed the flowers in the special holders, and stuck a few sticks of incense in the holes. She blew on them gently, and then poured water over his grave. She got down on her knees as a sign of respect, and prayed for him. She just had enough time to finish the prayer before she broke down into fresh tears. _'Ichigo.'_ Behind her, the sun slowly sunk behind the mountains, almost as if reflecting her pain.

* * *

><p><em>There is a girl in a white dress standing in front of an unmarked grave in the dark. She has long auburn hair and somehow seems slightly familiar. There is a certain aura around her that says that she is precious and cannot be lost. She kneels down and prays. When she has finished the prayer, she gets back up. The sun starts to rise and in the dim light, a tear can be seen. She starts to turn around…<em>

"Ahhhhh!" Ichigo fell of the bed with a start, his head landing in the empty trash can next to his bed. He got up, groaning and clutching his head. _'What was that? Who was that girl? Oww… damn trash can… what a way to wake up'._ There's only one thing that really stood out from that dream. Holding the girl's bangs away from her face were two strange flower hairpins… Ichigo left his room and headed down to the bathroom to wash up and take a refreshing shower. He towel dried his hair and tossed the dirty towel into the hamper in the corner of the room. He pulled on his shihakusho and tied his obi around his waist. He stuck his arms through his haori, the number '5' standing out prominently. He then left his room and calmly walked down the long hall, Zangetsu already strapped onto his back. Everywhere he walks he is greeted by formal calls of "Good morning Captain Kurosaki." And fan girls squeal, "Ahh! OMG, good morning Captain Kurosaki." He answered each greeting with a casual, "Yo," and walked past them. He is now the captain of the 5th squad and he has no memory of his past life in the World of the Living.

He headed to the 6th squad barracks, looking for Rukia and Renji. If he was good a sensing spiritual pressure, he could find them easily, but because that is not the case, he had to do this the hard way. He walked around, opening every door he passed.

"Rukia! Renji!... Oh sorry, wrong door… Ugh, where are they? Rukia! Renji!" On his fourth door he found them, kissing on the bed. They were so wrapped in their own world, that they didn't notice Ichigo's presence. He stared for a second, and then smirked.

"Didn't think you had it in you, Renji!" he called out to them. They broke apart, clearly startled. Renji turned around abruptly, and when he realized who it was, he glared at Ichigo.

"Why you… I'll kill you!"

"No you won't or I'll tell Byakuya about this!" he said in a singsong voice.

Renji looked at him, worried, "No, you wouldn't!"

"I was kidding. Anyways, I'm going to get going now. I have a lot of paperwork to do. You guys just continue on and pretend that I didn't disturb you guys," he teased. "Bye!" and with a small wave, he left the room.

"That bastard, I'll kill him…" Renji threatened. Then Rukia put a hand on his arm and they went back to their own little world.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wherever you are

Now without a boyfriend, Orihime found herself thinking about Ichigo more and more often. She often found herself wondering what happened to him after him death and would always end up worrying that he was a hollow and would end up like her brother. Whenever she was struck with those thoughts she would end up finding herself walking to the Urahara Shoten. Today was another one of those days.

She opened up the sliding doors and found that the little Shoten was full, as it normally was after Ichigo's death. Uryu and Chad would often be there to see Orihime, since she never answered her door anymore and the Vizards started hanging out at the little shop. But today there was someone missing.

"Urahara-san, where is Yoruichi-san?"

"Oh, Orihime-san! Welcome! Yoruichi-san is in the Soul Society investigating something for me. But don't worry! She'll be back soon." Urahara replied, cheerful as always. The other occupants of the tiny shop, who just had noticed her arrival, waved and motioned for her to come over. There was much idle chatter, but there was one topic that was always avoided, and that was Ichigo. They all knew how she felt about his death, and for once even Hiyori was silent. After a while the chatter died down and the room was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Orihime, with nothing to stop her straying thoughts, lay down on the floor and closed her eyes. Perhaps, for the first time in a while, she would be able to sleep peacefully, surrounded by all her friends.

* * *

><p>After Ichigo left Rukia and Renji, he found his wandering thoughts focus on the girl in his dream. <em>'Who is she?'<em> Was one of many thoughts that just kept nagging at him_, 'Is she real?'_

"Yahhh!" a raw throated yell from behind him jolted him from his thoughts. He turned and just barely brought up Zangetsu in time to block the zanpakuto that was coming at him. The wielder of the zanpakuto was Renji Abarai. Ichigo raised his eyebrows at him.

"This is for interrupting our date!" he said angrily and swung Zabimaru again, but this time Ichigo blocked his zanpakuto easily.

"Since when the hell was that a date? You two were just making out in your office." They continued to exchange blows, Renji angrily yelling colorful words the whole time.

"I'll kill you! Because of you, we almost got caught by captain! It's not often that we get time together you know!" Ichigo, getting tired of Renji's complaining, looked somewhere off to the left and waved and called out, "Yo, Byakuya!"

Renji immediately froze and spun on his heel and bowed, yelling, "Hello, Captain!" He raised his head, worried that he had revealed his secret, but no one was there. He stared, then, realizing he had been tricked, stared for a moment before spinning on his heel and continuing to attack Ichigo even more ferociously then before, "Why you-"

Both of them stopped their fight as footsteps made their way towards them. The silver-haired Gin Ichimaru stopped about four feet away. The eternally smiling captain was kind of known as a legend in the Soul Society, because he had bravely pretended to betray the Soul Society and the Shinigami, fought and almost killed Aizen and still survived, but on the brink of death. If it weren't for a human named Orihime Inoue, he would not be here now.

"Yo, Captain Kurosaki. Just thought ya might wanna hear somethin'. I was walking by head captain's room and couldn't help but to overhear them talking about ya. Sounds like they're hidin' somethin' from ya."

"Huh? Wait, what do you-" but he was gone before Ichigo could finish his thought. His curiosity triggered, Ichigo sighed, "Well I should go now. See ya Renji!" And he flash stepped away before Renji could say anything. 'What were they saying about me?''

He had been taught how to hide his spirit energy in special classes. So, he completely masked his enormous power and rested his ear against the door. For a minute he didn't hear anything, but then…

"You know, about Ichigo Kurosaki," an unfamiliar voice said. His eyes widened. Gin was right!

"His memory is gone, there is nothing we can do about it. If you lose your human memory during the konso, you can almost never get it back," said the head captain. Ichigo was shocked. He had lost his memory? When had he lost it? Is his memory loss related to the girl that he saw in his dreams?

"There must be some way." The Head Captain was silent for a few minutes. Then…

"There is one."

"How?"

"We've found a way, but it might or might not work."

"What happens if it works?."

"Then Ichigo regains his memories."

"And what if it doesn't work?"

"We don't exactly know. Even more memory loss? Death? The possibilities are endless." The strange voice replied. The head captain contemplated for a moment, and answered in a low voice, "We can't afford to lose another captain. Especially Ichigo Kurosaki. You must be certain that he will not die through this procedure." Then they started speaking in low voices, so Ichigo could not hear them. And finally, he heard the head captain give in and voice his approval. Then, before he could react, a hell butterfly approached him.

"Cap-"

Ichigo immediately grabbed the butterfly and shoved it into his pocket so that the people inside would not hear the butterfly and know he had been eavesdropping. He walked until he was sure they would not hear it, then retracted his hand and released it.

"-please report to the head captain's office." He sighed and walked back to the door, where he found Rukia, Renji, Toshiro, and Rangiku already outside. He joined them and they entered the room. He looked around, expecting to see two people, but instead he only saw the head captain… and a black cat. There was a bag next to the cat.

"You summoned us?" asked Toshiro.

"Yes," said the head captain, "You can already probably guess the situation, but-"

"Just get to the point," said the cat. Ichigo's mouth dropped_, 'Did that cat just talk?'_ He must have looked pretty surprised because the head captain said, "Is something the matter, Captain Kurosaki?"

He quickly shut his mouth, "Did that cat just talk?"

Renji quickly took a step foward, saying, "Ichigo, you don't remem-" Rukia quickly grabbed the back of his shihakusho and pulled him back, clamping a hand over his mouth. Thankfully, Ichigo didn't notice the action.

The strange cat took a step foward and answered, "Why? Do you have a problem with that?"

"Uh… no... sir." The cat smiled at his reply (or tried to smile at least), and said, "You know, I'm not really a cat."

"Huh?"

"Let me show you my true form." There was a big puff of smoke, and Toshiro looked away, his cheeks already burning a slight pink. Renji wanted to look, but Rukia pulled him down by his hair, and then covered his eyes. Rangiku stood there, not reacting at all, though there was a slight smile graced onto her face.. Ichigo wondered why his friends were acting that way. Then the smoke started to clear, and a woman's face was revealed. Ichigo, for the second time this morning, was dumbstruck.

"You-you're a woman!"

"Yes."

"But I thought you were a cat!"

"Cats don't talk Ichigo. Use your head." Ichigo looked down at his feet, embarrassed, and immediately realized something. He quickly snapped his head up, but not fast enough to miss it. He blushed, and looked away.

"Clothes! Put on some freakin' clothes!"

The dark skinned woman laughed, "Always a good reaction." She reached into the bag at her feet, and pulled out a black long sleeve. She started to put on her shirt, but paused.

"Wait, this your first time seeing a woman's body, right? Why don't you take another look. You might never see it again."

"That's none of your business!" he shouted angrily, turning around. But sadly, she took action and lifted up her shirt.

"See!"

"SHUT UP AND PUT ON SOME UNDERWEAR!"

She laughed again, "That just never gets old."

When she was all dressed, they restarted the meeting, Ichigo still blushing furiously. The dark skinned woman introduced herself.

"I'm Shihoin Yoruichi, previous captain of the second squad. As most of you have probably have guessed, this is about Ichigo's memory. Ichigo, yes, you did lose your memory. But, we need you to have your memory back as soon as possible. And so, to do so, you are going to visit the World of the Living. Go get ready. There is a- never mind, I'll tell you later. Rukia, Renji, Rangiku, Toshiro-,"

"Captain Hitsugaya to you," Toshiro murmured.

"-you know what to do. Dismissed."

"Wait-," Ichigo cried, but they pushed him out of the door and closed it. He sighed, and walked back to his barracks to get ready for his trip.

* * *

><p>"I'm back! Did anyone miss me?" said an overexcited Yoruichi. Orihime opened her eyes groggily, waved, and then closed them again, once again drifting off into her world of dreams and fantasies.<p>

Yoruichi walked over to Urahara. In an quiet tone, she said, "Ichigo will be coming to the World of the Living."

"What!" Exclaimed Urahara, "Why?"

She whispered the plan in his ear. Urahara got a sneaky smile on his face.

"This is going to be good."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Experiment

In Soul Society, Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, and Toushiro were standing in front of the giant Senkaimon, waiting for one more person to arrive.

"We're here! Are you guys ready?" yelled a bubbly voice from behind. Everybody turned around to find Rangiku and Gin approaching the Senkaimon.

"It's about damn time you got here. You take forever," said Renji. Momo, who had come to say goodbye to her boyfriend, Toshiro, started scolding him for his language.

Rangiku flashed a big smile and said, "Sorry about that. But remember, we're going to visit the World of the Living. I need to look and dress appropriately for the occasion."

Toshiro rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, "Yeah, right. We're just visiting the World of the Living. It's not like we're attending a wedding or something like that." Ichigo simply rolled his eyes and let out an irritated sigh. Even if he hated it, he had to agree with Renji. Rangiku really did take too long to get ready. Ichigo, Renji, Rukia, and Toshiro had been ready for ages and waited for at least an hour before she came.

"Hurry up and say goodbye to your girlfriend, Ichimaru. We have to get going." said Toshiro, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Ah, actually, I'm supposed to be comin' with ya guys." Everyone except for Rangiku turned their heads toward him, their attention caught.

"Why?" asked Ichigo, not that he really cared, after all he and Gin didn't really have a problem with each other.

"Ran made me. I was sleepin' then next thing I know, I'm being dragged out of my bed and onto the floor, with Rangiku telling me, no, screaming, at me to get my ass out of bed and get ready to leave. Though she took longer than I did."

"Stop complaining, you know that you wanted to come," said Rangiku, as she playfully slapped him on the arm, smiling all the while. When she wasn't looking, Gin shook his head, no, and made it clear that he had been forced to come.

Toshiro glared at Gin. He still had a sort of grudge against Gin after all that had previously happened in the Soul Society because of him pretending to join Aizen. "Did you clear it with the Head Captain?" he asked suspiciously. Gin shrugged and looked at Rangiku, waiting for an answer.

"Yep! The Head Captain said that it would be a good way to settle some of our differences." She looked pointedly at Toshiro and Gin, and then said excitedly, "Let's go!" She grabbed poor Gin by the back of his shirt, and proceeded to drag him into the Senkaimon. Everyone else stared for a second, sighed, then reluctantly followed the couple into the gate to the World of the Living.

* * *

><p>Orihime had been walking home from the Urahara shop, when she felt some rather large spiritual energies appear. But one stuck out most to her. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she thought that it was going to fly out of her chest. She could never forget this spiritual pressure.<em> 'Ichigo!'<em>

Ichigo's landing was not a soft one. He was the first one to exit the Senkaimon, but it opened up in midair, so he fell and landed flat on his butt, which really hurt. He slowly stood up, muttering, "Damn it... freakin' Senkaimon..." Without waiting for everyone else to come out, he started walking around. A slight pang of nostalgia hit him. _'This town seems familiar.'_

Orihime walked over to the parking lot where she had felt his spiritual energy, her breathing slightly shaky._ 'He has come to see me!' _she thought excitedly, hiding behind a building where she would wait for him to see her.

Ichigo walked to the end of the empty lot, and turned back calling, "Hey, where are we going?"

"Urahara Shoten," came a quiet mumble. He turned around and looked down to see that everyone else had just as rough of a landing as he did. The mumble had come from Gin who was stuck under Rangiku's bum. "Geez, you're really heavy, Ran." He said, and was immediately rewarded by her fist colliding with the top of his head. "Ow!"

Ichigo sighed and waited for everyone to get up. Once they had they started to exit the parking lot, Ichigo noticed a girl with long orange hair out of the peripheral of his eyes. He turned and realized that she seemed familiar. She was the girl from his dreams! He stopped walking and went over to her. _'She really is real.'_

When Orihime saw him walking up to her, she was so happy! Maybe they could get back together, get engaged again…

"Um, have I met you before?" he asked. Orihime was confused. _'Why is he asking me that?'_ Ichigo just stared at her, his warm chocolate brown eyes waiting for an answer.

"Ichigo… why are you asking me that?" Ichigo had not been expecting her to know his name and was surprised when he heard her say it.

"You know me?" he asked.

Her heart stopped. Her breathing came out in short breaths_. 'Oh no, don't tell me he's forgotten me. Please don't let him forget me.'_ Then she came across another thought, one she could not bear to think. _'What if he's in love with Rukia, or some other girl now?'_ Her eyes started to fill with tears at the thought. She looked into his eyes, hoping for some sign that he was playing with her. In his expression, she only saw confusion and curiosity. Her tears were threatening to spill at any moment now. _'He really has forgotten me.' _She looked at him one last time, then turned and ran, tears falling, hurt that her only love didn't remember her.

"Hey, wait!" he said. When she didn't turn he was shocked. _'Why did she leave so suddenly? Did I do something wrong?'_

"Hurry up, Ichigo!" called Renji from where the group was. He turned and walked towards the waiting Shinigami, confused. _'What did I do to her?'_

Still feeling confused, he followed the group of Shinigami to the Urahara Shoten. Once he did, he was immediately welcomed by a group of people who the other Shinigami called 'the Vizards' and two humans. Apparently, their names were Uryu and Chad. He waved and walked to the man who was apparently the famous founder of the Department of Research and Development in the Soul Society they called 'Urahara'.

"Ahhh! Welcome Kurosaki-san!"

"Yeah, yeah. What do I need to do?"

"We'll discuss it over tea!"

"Eh?" and then Ichigo found himself being pushed into another room with a small table in the middle of the floor. They all sat down.

"Kurosaki-san, you know that gaining your memory is important right?"

"Yes, I understood that much. But, why?"

Urahara picked up his fan and look at Ichigo over the top of it, "All in good time, Kurosaki-san."

"Then why mention it?" asked Ichigo, getting annoyed at the shop keeper.

"Because you have to understand the dangers of this experiment. You may-"

"I already know the dangers! I heard Yoruichi talking about them with the Head Captain!" he yelled, getting really annoyed. Then he realized that everyone was staring at him, "What?"

"Ooo, you were eavesdropping?" Yoruichi stated slyly, with a smirk on her face. Ichigo blushed, realizing that he didn't mean to say that. _'Oops'_.

Yoruichi looked like she want to say more to him, but Urahara didn't let her. He looked at Ichigo, "So you are aware of the dangers and are still willing to do this?"

"Yes, if it is necessary, then I must do it."

"Alright then, let's begin."

Ichigo was lead into a dark room and strapped down onto a cold, hard metal chair. All he saw was darkness, then nothing as he was knocked out by Urahara.

…

Ichigo woke up in an unfamiliar place that looked like he was surrounded by stars. As he looked at them, memories slowly started to resurface. Of that giant Mexican who barely spoke. Of that weird buy who always wore white and had glasses. What were their names again? Oh, yeah. Chad and Uryu. He started remembering it all. But just before he could remember the name of that girl he ran into in the parking lot, a dark shape approached him. It stopped in front of him and brought out a scythe.

"Oh, are you trying to regain your memories? Interesting… Well, sorry, but I can't allow that to happen. Tata!" and with that, he swung his blade right through Ichigo's neck.

…

When he woke up again, he found that he was on a white mat, in a white sheet. He looked up and saw that everyone was looking at him with relieved expressions on their faces.

"Ichigo, you're alright!" cried a happy Rukia. Her eyes were red and she looked like she had been crying.

"Of course I am, midget. Why would you even ask that?"

"Don't talk to her like that! We were all worried about you!" exclaimed Renji angrily. Rukia just looked down at her hands, a sad expression on her face.

"Why? What happened?"

"You almost died, Kurosaki-san." said Urahara. Ichigo's eyes widened as he remembered the encounter and his hand subconsciously touched his throat. _'What was that? It felt so...real.'_

"Well? Did it work Do you remember anything?" asked an anxious Yoruichi. Ichigo tried to remember what he had recalled. That giant and the guy in white. What were their names again? It was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't remember. Ichigo sighed shook his head in response. She blew out a breath she was holding and looked disappointed. And she and Urahara went away to discuss something in private.

Ichigo leaned his head back on the soft pillow and quickly fell asleep, obviously exhausted. Rukia looked out the window and then, she remembered something. She leaned over to Renji and whispered a single name in his ear. When she leaned back, they were both smiling wickedly. Then she whispered the name to everyone else in the room, and they all agreed.

Rukia rubbed her hands together. "We still have some time people! We might as well have some fun before we leave! Okay! Let us commence our brilliant plan to get those two back together."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry that it took a while to update! Please review!<em>

_The next chapter will be called 7 Minutes in Heaven and, yes, it will feature the game 7 Minutes in Heaven. I will try to finish this chapter faster than the last one. Hopefully I won't take too long!  
><em>


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

7 Minutes in Heaven

"Wait. We had a plan?" Renji asked, confused.

Rukia look at him with an expression that was crossed between looking annoyed and something like _'Duh. Weren't you paying attention?'_ . "Of course we did!"

"I didn't hear you mention one all you said was Ori-" Gin started but was interrupted by Rukia who put a hand on his mouth to prevent him from saying her name in the same room as Ichigo, even if he was sleeping and couldn't possibly hear them talking. But, it didn't hurt to take a chance.

"I have a plan and it has to do with a party."

At the mention of a party, Rangiku naturally got excited. She bounced up and down in her chair energetically. She looked like she was given permission to put makeup on every male she could get her hands on. "Ooooh! A party! What will we do there When is it? Why are we having one?" Rukia looked around, then brought everyone together into a tight circle, whispering in each of their ears in turn. When they came up again after discussing the plan, the girls had a sneaky smile on each of their faces, but the boys just looked bored. Toshirou immediately proclaimed that he would not have any part with this and left the room, stating that such a plan is childish and stupid. He was the only one not participating. Rukia just simply smirked and the rest of them left the room with eager smiles or bored scowls engraved onto their faces. It was time to prepare for the party.

…

Orihime was sitting in her apartment building when she received the notice. She was busy reading a novel when she heard a knock on her door. When she had opened it, she was greeted by a giant bear hug from none other than Rangiku Matsumoto.

Orihime frantically pushed Rangiku away from her, gasping in much needed air. One of the unfortunate things about having such a big chest. Though the guys probably don't complain.

"R-rangiku-san! What are you doing here?"

Rangiku smiled, holding out a simple envelope sealed with a sticker that looked like Chappy. How elegant. "Just to give you this! Our mission failed, so we decided to have some fun before we leave! Please say you'll come!"

Orihime peeled off the sticker and looked at the invitation. It was to a party request at some place that the Shinigami had rented out for the day. She decided it wouldn't hurt to come. "Okay, I'll come, Rangiku-san."

"Yay!" Rangiku squealed, "I knew you would!" She gave Orihime one last bear hug, then left, secretly basking in her success. _'Mission 1 complete!'_

…

_Ichigo was sailing on a ship. The beautiful auburn haired girl was there, facing the stunning ocean that glistened a pure cerulean. She was in a simple white tea length dress with a strip of black ribbon wrapped around her slim waist and tied into a bow that rested against the small of her back. Her back was facing him, and a single tear could be seen making its way down her cheek. He wanted to comfort her, but no amounts of calling could get her to look at him and no matter how far he walked, he could never reach her. It was as if every step he took made the distance longer between the two. _'Damn, how freakin' big is this ship? I'm not getting closer at all!' _As he was running towards her, she turned around very slowly. She smiled gently, a smile that took his breath away and made his heart skip a beat. She slowly extended her hand toward him, but as he grabbed it, her entire body turned into gray ash. His eyes widened in shock, and he tripped over the railing separating him from the icy ocean. He plummeted into the freezing waters..._

Splash! Ichigo's eyes flew open from the shock of cold, and he sat up quickly. He was soaking wet, and standing in front of him, was Rukia, holding a big blue bucket. His eyes narrowed.

"Thanks for finally deciding to join us! Do you know how long it took to wake you? Geez... Well at least you're awake now." She threw something white at him. He grabbed it before it poked his eye out. He eyed the envelope. It was sealed off with a Chappy sticker. He ripped open the mysterious envelope and quickly pulled out the letter, eyes scanning the elegant script. What the hell? "We're having a party and you're coming whether you like it or not. See you there!" and she rushed out of the room before he could say a word. He sighed_. 'That girl… Then this invitation is for nothing, see as I have no choice but to go...' _Then he stood up and went off to find himself a towel to dry himself off with. Urahara had to have one in his shop somewhere…

…

Rangiku and Rukia met up in an alleyway behind the place they had rented out for the party.

"Did you do it?" Rukia asked excitedly.

"Yep! And it was easy! Did you?"

Rukia nodded. _'So far so good.' _Now they just needed to set up the party so they could have the plan work. Her plan was simple, but she thought it was sure to work. Her plan: Get Ichigo slightly drunk, just so that he would not be completely in control, but enough so that he would have enough sense not to go farther than a kiss. She knew he had feelings for the auburn haired girl anyways; she had seen their exchange in the parking lot. All of them had, but Rukia told them to keep quiet about it. It was quite easy to guess by looking at their expressions. Then, after Step 1, she would find a way to get those two to dance to a slow song that she would ask the DJ to play for them. If Ichigo followed his impulses, they would hopefully kiss which would probably lead to a renewed relationship between them. And everything would be back to normal! All Rukia had to do now was hope that Orihime would go along with it…

The place they had rented out was a big house near the park that had had a 'For Lease' sign staked into its front lawn, and that had been exactly what they had needed at the time. So they 'borrowed' some of Urahara's money and then rented it out. While they were gone, the boys had put out a dance mat, a disco ball, and set out some tables and chairs. It was now up to the girls to decorate it however they wanted to. Rukia had fun with that.

…

Ichigo stepped into the house and looked around. He had chosen a black tux and a black tie to wear with some black dress pants because Rukia had specified formal clothes on her invitation. It was very bright, with the disco ball shining its lights everywhere. The walls were painted a subtle beige with candles hanging from candle holders attached onto the walls. The grand staircase was to the left of the house, and beyond the dance mat and refreshment tables was the living room. Upstairs, there were bedrooms and two downstairs. The bathroom was under the staircase, hidden by the long flight of steps. The entire floor was made of moso bamboo, and was now dirty because of all the shoes and spills of drinks and food. Loud music was playing, and many people were dancing. Ichigo and continued to look around. Behind the dance floor, were some tables and chairs for people to sit. Each table had a white table cloth and a candle set out, where flower bouquets were arranged rather messily. Behind those, were some more tables set out, and there was a lot of food on them. He walked over to one of the tables, and sat down at it. He picked up a napkin, then groaned loudly. It was in the shape of a chappy. He tried to look for Rukia, Renji, or someone who had come with him from the Soul Society, but he didn't see them. Instead he saw a spiky haired girl dancing with that guy with the glasses, and then he spotted the giant drinking something in a plastic cup a few ways off from there. He put down the cup, then started talking with an red haired girl with glasses. He gave up looking then walked over to the table with punch that was near the door_. 'Why did the drinks have to be so far away from the food?'_ he thought annoyed at the set up. As he got himself a cup, he noticed the auburn haired girl from yesterday entering the doorway. She was even more beautiful than usual, even without any makeup. She was wearing a strapless ballgown that was peach colored. The bodice was made of satin fabric. There was a broach in the middle of a cross-wrap under her bust. That created the illusion of an empire waist. The back was cross-laced, so it looked similar to a corset, though not nearly as tight. There was an organza overlay that was on top of the full skirt. Around her neck was a silver chain with a simple 8-carat blue diamond framed with silver. But what caught his attention was the ring that was also hanging around the chain. It was absolutely stunning. It was a pure silver engagement ring. In the center of the ring was a blue flower that looked similar to a hibiscus. There were small green leaves surrounding the flower, and the details were obvious. It was simple, but it most have cost quite a bit. Her hair was in an updo hairstyle, and the long locks were pinned into place with her hair pins. She looked at him, and he lowered his gaze. When he looked up again, she was already gone. She had walked away, somewhere into the crowd of dancing people. _'Ugh. Why did they have to invite everyone in Karakura Town.'_

Rukia was watching from the sidelines, in the shadows of the large staircase. She saw Orihime enter, and Ichigo stare at her. Then she walked towards Ichigo. "Hey! What took you so long?"

Ichigo whirled around. "I've been here the whole time! Where were YOU?"

Rukia laughed at him and gave him a glass of sake. "Don't worry about that! Come on! Drink up!"

Ichigo was still disappointed about what had happened with Orihime, so he just drank it all without looking at what was within. Within a few minutes, he was tottering in place and needed to grab a table for support. _'Good. He's out of the way. Now for Orihime…'_

Rukia left Ichigo for a little bit, then when to find Orihime. She located her on the other side of the room, sitting on one of the chairs and watching everyone sway their hips around. She sat down next to her. "Hey!"

Orihime looked up to find Rukia sitting across from her. "Hi, Kuchiki-san."

"So…are you going to dance? Ichigo is in need of a dance partner."

Orihime flinched when she heard his name, but tried to pass it off as a look of surprise. "Why are you asking me?"

"Cause we want Ichigo to dance and no one else would do it." Rukia noticed Orihime's hesitation. "Please?"

Orihime sighed. "Okay. But just one dance."

"Yay! Thanks Orihime!" She then took Orihime's arm and led her to Ichigo. He was still tottering around, but seemed to recovering slowly. Rukia shoved Orihime into his arms, making them stumble around to regain their balance. "Wait here." Rukia ordered before leaving. She rushed over to the DJ and requested a nice and slow song for the couple to dance to. Immediately, one was put on, and all of the dancers began to slow dance.

Orihime grabbed Ichigo's shoulders and together they started to shuffle their feet, not noticing Chad, Uryu, and the shinigami staring at them intently. If this plan worked, Orihime wouldn't be so depressed and they wouldn't have to hide anything from Ichigo anymore. They noticed how tense both of them were. She was carefully avoiding his eyes, but she often felt his eyes on her.

"So...what is your name? You just ran off before and I didn't get why you did." Orihime looked up into Ichigo's warm brown eyes and after a pause, she told him.

"So…you're Orihime. Why does that name sound familiar? Have we met before?"

"You recognize my name?"

"It sounds...vaguely familiar." Then he was quiet, and they just continued to dance silently, his eyes still on her. Eventually she looked up again. He was still staring, "Orihime…" He began to lean down and Orihime guessed what was going to happen, she closed her eyes in anticipation and waited. But then she opened her eyes and pulled away, quickly leaving the dance floor. _'I can't do this.'_ Ichigo was still standing there watching her walk away. Then he went over towards a table and slammed his fist against it. _'Why did I do that?'_

Rukia, who was watching them, was startled when Orihime pulled away. She immediately started to walk after her, calling out. "Orihime! What happened?"

Orihime turned around, clearly surprised by Rukia's sudden appearance. "Oh! Kuchihi-san!...N-nothing happened!"

"Then why did you leave?"

"She paused before answering quickly, "I just didn't feel like dancing anymore!" Before Rukia could say anything she turned away towards the stairs where she just sat waiting for the party to be over. Ichigo was on the other side of the room sitting at one of the chairs silently. Rukia cursed under her breath. _'So close! Ugh! Why didn't I make a backup plan?' _Rangiku came up behind her and loudly asked, "Did it work?" Rukia gestured to Ichigo on one side of the room and Orihime on the other, "What do you think?"

"Oh…" Then Rangiku got a huge smile on her face. Rukia noticed and immediately asked "What?"

"Nothing! I just had a great idea!" She whispered her new plan in Rukia's ear, and pretty soon both girls were grinning evilly. Then they eagerly ran off to tell the others about the change of plans.

…

As soon as the party was over, they pretty much started pushing people out the door. Orihime had fallen asleep on the stairs, with a tiny bit of drool gathering in the corner of her mouth. Ichigo was still sitting at the table, silently sulking about his actions. Once everyone was gone, Rangiku woke up Orihime and Rukia went to get Ichigo.

Orihime wanted to leave but Rangiku pulled her upstairs where the others were already seated. "What's happening?" Orihime asked when she saw them all sitting against the wall.

Rangiku smiled, "We're playing 7 minutes in heaven!"

"Oh ok…" She sat down across from the place where Ichigo was sitting and avoided his eyes. Rukia started explaining the rules of the game while Rangiku started passing out sticks to all the players. "Okay. So, to play 7 Minutes in Heaven, everyone picks a stick that all have different numbers on them. There are two sticks for each number. Then, when everyone gets their stick, the other sticks are put into a cup so that you can't see the number you choose when it's your turn. When the person who picks a stick calls out your number, then you both are going to go into that room and stay in there for seven minutes. Oh, and if you're paired with someone who's the same gender as you, we don't care. Now, everyone, look at your number." The number Orihime got was eight.

"Ichigo you're going to pick first!" exclaimed Rukia with a smirk.

"Eh? Why me?"

"Cause we told you to." Ichigo sighed and randomly picked a stick with someone's number on it. Rukia smirked. They had put the number eight on all of the sticks in the cup so that Ichigo would pick Orihime's number no matter what. Ichigo picked a stick and read the number out loud. It was eight.

Orihime blushed and stepped up. "I'm eight."

Rangiku and Rukia shared a smug smile. "Okay, in you to go!" They pushed them in, then locked the door on them. Then they left. "Have a goodnight!" Rangiku whispered.

…

Ichigo sat down on a bed in the middle of the room. Orihime just stood by the door. He looked up at her. "Orihime…I want to apologize about that incident down at the dance floor. I didn't know what was up with me."

Orihime turned towards him. "It's ok." She hesitantly walked over and nervously sat down next to him, constantly fidgeting the entire time.

"So do you mind if I start to get to know you? After all, we do have seven minutes."

"Ok."

"So…" Beep! Beep! Ichigo jumped at the sudden noise. He picked up his Soul Pager and scowled. "Ugh. Damn hollow. Stay here, Orihime. I'll be right back." He took out his gikongan and popped it into his mouth and leaped out the window, his gigai now crumpled into a pile on the floor. Orihime watched him leave. She quickly gathered up the bed sheets and started tying them together. _'I'm not staying behind. Not this time.'_

Ichigo jumped over building after building until he reached the place where his soul pager mentioned. It was in a clearing near the supermarket. He easily defeated the one that was there, but then more gathered together. He defeated each of the ones that came at him, but more and more kept coming at him. _'How many freakin' hollows can there be in one place?' _Finally there were only three left. He defeated another, then got ready to face the other.

"Koten Zanshun!" Something bug-like flew past Ichigo's face and hit the he was about to kill. Its head was split into two perfect halves, defeating it. He turned around to see Orihime standing there. "Orihime…" She gave him a breathtaking smile that made his breath hitch in his throat and his heart jump in his chest. Then he noticed a hollow behind her reaching out to grab her. "Orihime!" She turned around is surprise, and the hollow nearly grabbed her arm, but Ichigo interceded the attack instead. The hollow slashed his arm, then he defeated it with a single swing of Zangetsu. "Orihime, are you ok?" She nodded and he felt a wave of relief hit him. She looked at his arm and noticed the cut.

"Let me heal that for you."

He stared in shock and surprise. "You can do that?" She nodded.

"Souten Kisshun." A dome of orange light surrounded him. And his wound immediately began to heal. He was shocked, then he felt something else, a sort of tingling feeling in his head. Then he blacked out into a world of his memories.

.

.

.

He fought a group of skateboarders to punish them for knocking over a ghost girl's flowers.

.

.

.

He held back a flaming bird with Zangetsu to protect Rukia at her execution.

.

.

.

He fought an Arrancar named Ulquirrora to save Orihime and rescue her from Hueco Mundo.

.

.

.

All of his memories were coming back, one by one. He remembered everything. Chad…Uryu…Rukia…Renji…Keigo…Mizuiro...and Orihime. He remembered it all. He had a crazy dad who attacked him whenever he had the chance. He used to be a substitute shinigami, who first gained his powers through Rukia. She was sentenced to death because of her crime of giving a human Shinigami powers, and he saved her. Aizen betrayed the Soul Society and successfully retrieved the Hougyoku. Orihime had been kidnapped by Aizen, so he, Chad, and Uryu, stormed Hueco Mundo to save her. He defeated Aizen in Soul Society, and lost his powers in the process. Ginjo and the other members of Xcution helped him get them back. He proposed to Orihime on Tanabata, then he was killed by a hollow during one of his dates with Orihime in the park. He remembered all of it. He opened his eyes and saw Orihime staring at him in worry. "Hime…Orihime! I remember. I remember it all." He looked at her with love in his eyes, and kissed her, "We were engaged."

"You really do remember?" He nodded. "Yay!" she said and ran into him. She clung to him, head buried in his chest, sobbing with joy.

He smiled, "Let's go back now."

He carried her back to the house, and they went got back into the room through the open window. The room was still dark, and the lights weren't turned on. Ichigo got back into his body while Orihime felt around the wall to find the light switch. Then Ichigo sat down on the edge of the bed and grabbed Orihime by the hand, to which she squeaked in surprise and embarrassment. She still hadn't been able to find the switch. He pulled her onto his lap, where she struggled to adjust the long gown that was taking up a lot of room. Ichigo, too impatient to wait, simply pulled her hands away from the dress, grabbed her chin, and kissed her senseless.

…

Rukia and the others received the signal, and felt Ichigo's reitsu already there. They also felt Orihime's. They quickly went to help, but by the time they did, it was already over. So Rukia, Renji, Toshiro, Gin, and Rangiku walked back to the house and quietly unlocked the door to the 7 Minutes in Heaven room. They peeked in. It was dark, so they could only make out two figures. Orihime was on top of Ichigo, and as far as they could tell, they weren't wearing anything…

Everyone stared in shock. The boys were blushing while the girls were trying to hold in squeals. Rangiku frantically whispered, "Hurry and turn on the lights!" Rukia hesitated. What if they were doing…that?

"It's alright. Who cares if they're doing that? I bet they've done it before."

"Ok!" said Rukia. She turned on the light and looked in anticipation but was sadly disappointed. They weren't doing that. Orihime was sitting on Ichigo's lap, kissing like it was the end of the world, and they were both, indeed, fully clothed.

Ichigo pulled away from the kiss, to which Orihime let out a small whine. He pressed Orihime to his chest to look at everybody, happily exclaiming, "Hey guys! I got my memory back!"

They were shocked. "You did?" inquired Yoruichi. Ichigo nodded excitedly.

"Yeah, I remember saving Rukia from being executed, going to Hueco Mundo with Chad and Uryu to save Hime, and all that other stuff."

"How is that possible?" ask Yoruichi to herself. "Did anything special happen?"

Ichigo thought for a second, "Not really. I just fought a bunch of hollows, and I got cut. Then Orihime healed me-"

"That's it!" cried Yoruichi. They all looked at her in confusion. "Orihime's ability is to reject, right? Well she probably rejected Ichigo's memory loss while healing his injuries. Why didn't we think of that?"

" Well, whatever the reason, I don't care. At least I finally got my memory back." Then, he went back to kissing Orihime, ignoring the cheering from the audience.

* * *

><p><em>AN-Sorry for the long wait! We tried to make this chapter as long as we could. We hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Oh, and if you want to look at a picture of Orihime's dress, we'll put it up on our profile or Sharon's profile (La Mesa Oboe17: .netu/2792805/La_Mesa_Oboe17) Feel free to look! _

_Chapter spoiler: In our next chapter, remember the cloaked guy from the last chapter? He's coming back. He will be the antagonist for this story. And there will be something to do with Aizen…but he won't be the evil guy this time. It's going to be awesome! But we might take even longer than normal to update (sorry!) because we need to plot the next chapter. We're going to try to make it action packed so, we will need to think of a few more ideas…_

_Thanks,_

_La Mesa Bandgeeks15_


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Just to Be with You

"Are you sure about this, Orihime?" Rukia hesitantly asked. All the other Shinigami gave Orihime worried glances.

Orihime nodded and answered boldly, "Yes. I am sure. This has to be done."

Rukia, Renji, Rangiku, and Toshiro all swallowed thickly before simultaneously drawing their swords. They didn't want to do something like this. They understood why she wanted to do this, but they were still against it. It was a good thing that Gin was keeping Ichigo distracted by using Hollow bait; otherwise, he would definitely kill them before they could do something like this. Rangiku asked one more time just to make sure she was willing to do this. Did Orihime really understand just how much she was leaving behind? Her friends, her career, her time in the World of the Living…

"Orihime-chan, are you sur-"

"Yes, Rangiku-san! I'm sure!" Orihime suddenly shouted. She was getting very impatient about all their uncertainty, and just wanted to get it over with.

The Shinigami all flinched; Orihime had never acted this way before. They were used to her smiling, clumsy, and happy personality. Not this confident, demanding woman that stood before them.

Orihime's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't meant to yell at them like that. She took a step back and murmured, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at all of you like that."

The Shinigami slowly recovered from their stupor, and reassured her, "Don't worry Orihime. It's fine. We're worrying too much, aren't we? It's not like we're not going to see you again." Rukia calmly replied.

Toshiro stated, "I'm gonna explain the plan again. We stab Orihime through the heart, sever her Soul Chain, and lead her through the Dangai to Soul Society. Rukia and Rangiku are going to be in charge of taking her through the Dangai. Then-"

Renji interrupted, "Wait. What about us guys?"

A big grin spread on Rangiku's face, threatening to split her face in half. She happily replied, "Well, you guys are going to tell Ichigo about this!"

For a minute there was complete silence as the plan started to register in their brains. "WHAT!" shouted Renji.

Rangiku said, "What? I'm don't want to deal with Ichigo when he finds about this. He's gonna go bankai on us, and I don't want to go through something like that. You're guys. You should be able to handle him; you guys are the same gender."

After a long, heated argument, the boys reluctantly surrendered to Rangiku. And the moment had finally come. Rukia slowly turned to Orihime, her sword held out in front of her. Rukia quietly questioned, "Are you ready?"

Orihime hesitated. She was beginning to question her decision about this. Dying is not easy to do easily, and she kept on wondering if she had made the right choice… but then she thought of Ichigo, the one who had always been there for her, protected her even in the hardest of times. Then she was certain. This was her destiny. All she wanted and needed was Ichigo, and this way, they could be together forever. She wouldn't back out now. She nodded, then slowly closed her eyes and braced herself as Sode no Shirayuki ran through her chest, puncturing her heart and severing her Soul Chain at the same time.

Finally, she was going to be with her soul mate.

…

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY, YOU BASTARDS!"

Renji barely dodged Tensa Zangetsu before nervously stuttering, "H-hey, Ichigo! Calm down! We d-didn't plan this! Orihime w-wanted this!" He quickly glanced over his shoulder, silently begging for help from the captains who were calmly standing there, watching with uninterested expressions. Well, rather, Toshiro was uninterested; it was rather hard to tell if Gin was interested or not, considering he had that creepy smile plastered on his face the entire time.

"BUT YOU LET HER, YOU BITCH!" To say Ichigo was furious was an understatement. Right now, even Kenpachi would be shaking in his shoes. Ichigo's vision was red from fury and rage as he continued to let out his anger by trying to kill Renji. Gin watched silently, amused. _'Oh boy, is he going to calm down anytime soon?' _He watched as the battle drew on and on, then he silently answered his own question,

'_Nope'_

A.N: Okay! Sorry that this was such a short chapter! We should've told you this earlier, but it didn't occur to us until later. There was supposed to be an enemy trying to kill Orihime, but we forgot about him. And just to say…

**THE NEXT CHAPTER SIGNIFIES THE FINAL/NEXT TO LAST CHAPTER OF EVERLASTING.**

We haven't decided whether to have one of two more chapters.

We hope you have enjoyed our first fanfic. But, good news! There's gonna be a sequel! Yay! We hope you liked this fic while it lasted. Look forward to the sequel (Whatever we decide to call it) and please rewiew!


	7. Epologue part 1

Epilogue 1

To a Bright Future

Ichigo and Orihime slowly walked up a grassy hill that overlooked Rukongai and the Seireitei, hand in hand. Orihime was striving to become the Fourth Division Captain, and in order to do so, she was attending the Shinigami Academy. Everybody already knew that she was dating the legendary Fifth Division Captain, Ichigo Kurosaki, therefore, she was highly popular. And since she was at the top of her class, she was definitely worthy of being Ichigo Kurosaki's girlfriend.

At the top of the hill, Ichigo suddenly stopped and got down on one knee, still holding Orihime's hand, and pulled the ring out from his pocket. Looking into her beautiful gray eyes, he whispered, "Orihime Inoue, will you marry me? I know I already said this and gave you a ring, but we both died so I guess that one doesn't count." He smiled softly, "So will you accept me as your husband?"

Orihime smiled lovingly at her new fiancé, "Yes, I do…"

…

"Orihime, what do you think about this dress?"

It's been six months since Ichigo popped the bubble again, and Soul Society has been in chaos. Visiting the World of the Living over and over again to get things planned for the wedding was not an easy task. After much arguing from the Shinigami Woman's Association, who had welcomed Orihime as a new member, Yamamoto finally agreed to hold a wedding for the two, but he refused to attend. After permission came the decorations, the place, the time, the invitations, and the expenses. But the most important part was the bride's dress. So, most of the Shinigami Women's Association had come with Orihime, with the exception of Nanao, who was ordering the men to go fetch this decoration and this bunch of flowers.

Rukia held up a ballgown dress that had lace and satin flower designs training down the right side. It had sleeves made from lace that went down to the elbow. There were flower designs on the neck line, and silk ruffles were everywhere. The dress was too busy.

Orihime sadly shook her head and apologized, "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san, but there's too much going on everywhere. You would barely be able to see me under all of that fabric."

For a second Rukia looked sad, but she quickly shook away the depression. There were still many dresses to look through, and she had competition.

Before they had arrived at the bridal store, while Orihime was in the bathroom, the girls all made a bet on who would find Orihime's perfect dress first. Everybody except Yachiru, Unohana, Isane, Kiyone, and Nemu were going to participate. They needed people to see how the dress looked, after all. And so the competition began.

There were girls rushing everywhere. The dress consultant just helplessly stared at everyone gathering dresses that they thought would look nice. The dress consultant, Hikari, felt a gentle tap on her shoulder, and turned around. Orihime smiled and asked her, "Well, Hikari, I'm watching everybody gather some dresses, and I don't think any of them are the ones. Could you help me find some dresses, as well? You are the professional, after all."

Hikari didn't even waste a second, immediately darting away to a different store. _'I have to find the perfect dress. No matter how long it takes. It's my job, after all!'_

Soon, everyone headed into the dressing room, with the exception of Yuzu, Karin, Unohana, Rangiku, and Kiyone. They were going to judge Orihime how she looked in this and that. As everybody hung up the dresses that they chose, Orihime immediately scratching them out. In the end, there were only three dresses that she was interested in out of 23 in total. Everybody outside watched curiously as some of the girls walked out with sullen and downcast looks as they dragged their heavy feet, rejected dresses in hand.

The first dress was picked out by Rukia. It was a strapless, sweetheart neckline mermaid gown. There were gems studded right underneath the breasts, as well as beige colored buttons lining the entire back. The skirt was made out of satin, while the middle area was made from silk and lace. The skirt was layered with three pieces of satin overlapping each other. It was elegant, simple, and classic. Something told her that this wasn't the one, but she tried it on anyways. Everyone got out while Rukia assisted in putting the dress on and buttoning the back.

Everyone outside impatiently waited. Some of them were crossing their arms, some tapping their feet, some pacing. They didn't notice that they were attracting attention. And Alice was still nowhere to be found. Finally, they heard the click that told them that Orihime had finished donning the dress. As she slowly walked forward, everybody's' jaws dropped. She was drop dead gorgeous. She had on a matching necklace and earrings. She had a small flower pin on the left side of her head that also matched as well. Rukia was holding the fabric on the back that dragged on the floor. She walked up to the little stand that was in front of the mirror. She did a small twirl that allowed everybody to see the entire dress. Most of the girls immediately gave a thumbs-up, but some knew better. Rangiku, Unohana, and Tatsuki were the only ones who noticed the subtle frown on Orihime's face. Tatsuki came to the rescue and asked, "What do you think of the dress, Orihime? Do you like it? Is it the one?"

Orihime looked uncertain. She replied, "It's very pretty, but I don't think that it's the one. I don't feel like...me."

Everybody simply shrugged it off and reassured Orihime that she could try on more dresses. This time, Tatsuki followed Orihime into the dressing room instead of Rukia. Orihime stood in the middle of the room as Tatsuki closed the door behind them. She turned to face Orihime, sensing that she was worrying about something. She stood right in front of Orihime and asked, "Okay, Orihime. What's bugging you?"

Orihime, startled by Tatsuki's sudden question, hurriedly replied, "W-what's bugging me? Oh, n-nothing's bugging m-me, Tatsuki-chan! Don't worry!"

Tatsuki wasn't fooled. "I know that you're lying, Orihime. I noticed it the moment you stepped out of this room. Tell me what's wrong."

Orihime sighed, finally giving in. Nothing couldn't be unnoticed by Tatsuki.

"Well...it feels like everybody's pushing me to wear the dress that they like. They're not even letting me choose for myself. I feel like I'm suffocating from all of the pressure. I mean, I'm grateful that everybody's taking time off of their busy schedule to help me look for a dress, but I'm the bride, aren't I? I should get to choose what I think suits me...Ahh. Am I being too straightforward? I shouldn't be blaming everyone. I feel like I'm rambling about something that doesn't matter at all. I'm so stupid..."

Tatsuki, who understood how Orihime felt, decided to take on the motherly act.

"Orihime, you're not stupid. And you're not rambling at all. Everything you said is true. And I don't think anybody minds the fact that they're taking time off of their schedule to help you. In fact, I think they're more than willing to do this. But you're right. It's your wedding, you should be the one choosing the dress. But, anyhow, these dresses look pretty nice, so why don't you try some more on?"

Outside, everybody was talking.

Rangiku whined, "Aww. That was the dress I chose for her, and she said it wasn't the one."

Rukia shot back, "Well, if she doesn't like the dress, she doesn't like it. And she didn't like yours, so she's not getting it. Get over it. After all, there are plenty of other dresses in here. But I hope she chooses my dress."

Soon, the audience heard another subtle click as the door opened and closed. They turned around...

And they died right there and now.

They all had the thought,_ 'What the hell is with that dress!'_

The dress was supposed to be a beige color, but it was closer to shit brown. It was simply made out of lace, with an extra layer of fabric just barely covering her...private areas. Other than that...that was it.

Everybody was staring at this point. They were shocked. Who would choose a dress like this for Orihime? It was too immodest! Hell, even Rangiku was thinking that. Who would even think to design a...a...thing like that! It wasn't worthy of being called a dress!

There was silence as Orihime shyly fidgeted under everyone's gazes. And then came the outburst. The loudest was Rukia and Rangiku screaming together.

"WHO THE ON EARTH CHOSE THIS ABOMINATION OF A DRESS!"

The person who rose her hand in the air wasn't very surprising. As soon as they saw, everybody deadpanned.

_'Of course it was Nemu.'_

Nobody had to say anything. Tatsuki immediately dragged Orihime back into the dressing while everybody scolded Nemu about what was right to wear and what was wrong to wear.

In the dressing room, the abomination was ripped off of Orihime in less than a second. No words were spoken as Tatsuki grabbed the last dress on the rack and held it out to Orihime. She thought, _'I truly hope this dress is the one for Orihime. Otherwise, we're done for. There won't be any other dresses.'_

Outside, everybody was finally settling down. The next dress was the last one. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. This one was picked by Rukia, and hopefully was the right dress. The soft click clack of high heels told the Shinigami Womens Association that Orihime was stepping out. When Orihime stood on the little circular podium, their breaths were taken away. Orihime looked stunning in a ballgown that was almost like a second skin, the basque waist hugging Orihime's hourglass form. Starting from the small of the back, intricate braids and knots of flowers and random designs made their way around the entire waist, where it ended in the middle of the bateau neckline. The sleeves were capped, ending right at the bottom of the underarm, and were made out of thin lace. The bottom skirt was covered with silk ruffles; poofy enough to cover the entire lower body, but tamed enough not to be a silk mess. It look gorgeous on Orihime.

Everybody was obviously into this dress. But Orihime still didn't feel right. In her eyes, the capped sleeves weren't appealing, and there were too many ruffles to her liking. She sighed, thinking, _'If only Ichigo were here. He would know the perfect dress for me.' _

Tatsuki, noticing Orihime's sad sigh, went up to her and gently patted her shoulder, quietly questioning, "What's wrong, Orihime?" She didn't get a response.

"You wish that Ichigo were here, don't you?"

Orihime was shocked. Even after all of these years, Tatsuki can still read her like a book. From what Tatsuki saw, she had hit the nail on the head.

"Look, Orihim-"

Suddenly, there was a noise of running footsteps and everybody turned around to see who had caused the noise. Finally, Hikari had returned, breathless and hand on chest. From what Orihime saw, it looked she had finally found a dress. Hikari didn't bother to say anything and simply grabbed Orihime's hand, pulling her in the direction of her dressing room. She was eager to show Orihime what she had found, and hopefully it was the right one this time.

Outside, everybody was murmuring quietly. "Another dress? Oh please. I'm getting rather tired of all of this. I just want to go home. I'm sure that the perfect dress isn't here."

Click. The sound of shoes clacking against the wooden floor and the ruffling of fabric against fabric.

And on that single day, in a certain bridal gown store, every person cried.

Yes. Yes. Just yes.

.

.

.

.

.

This was the perfect dress.

* * *

><p>AN:Phew! So, we did say that this was going to be the last chapter...but it's not. The one more! Not too sure if you're excited or bored to your wits, but I hope you liked this chapter! (By the way, I'm La Mesa Oboe17 right now.) I was originally going to type the entire wedding in this chapter, but I just didn't feel like getting off of my lazy ass and typing some hardcore wedding scenes. And partly because inspiration didn't hit, but that's not an excuse. I need to get up and start taking this seriously. So, I will try my best to type the next chapter and post it as soon as possible, but since school starts in less than a week, and queenanimegirl's going on a trip...Wow. This is gonna be a long week. Well, hopefully, I'll update soon! Hope you enjoyed reading Everlasting !<p>

La Mesa Bandgeeks


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